TOO HARD TO HANDLE is book 8 in Julie Ann Walker's Black
Knights, Inc. series. The Black Knights are covert
government operatives who run their blacker-than-black ops
behind the front of a motorcycle shop. All of the Black
Knights are larger-than-life manly men who can operate any
gun or explosive device made and look hot while doing so.
It's a rough and tumble brotherhood of smack-talking and
lively snark, with slang slung about at high speeds. While
the series has been a mixed bag for me, Walker seems to have
now found her consistent voice for this series.
Dan "The Man" Currington is just coming back to life after
his wife was gunned down in front of him
two years ago by criminals who were attacking the Knights'
business. Dan sank into a bottle, drinking everything he
could get his hands on to in order to escape his
anguish. His brothers stood by him as he entered AA, and
he's slowly regaining his equilibrium. Dan has been
with a fellow operative in Peru for the last 3 months trying
to track down a rogue CIA agent selling classified
government secrets, when in walks Penni DePaul, the one
woman he hasn't been able to get out of his mind. Dan is an
utterly sympathetic character. I love how honorable he is,
and what a steadfast hero he shows himself to be.
Penni DePaul has just retired from the Secret Service.
Penni and Dan shared one hot night three months ago in Malaysia
on a disastrous mission, and Peru is the last place Dan
expects to run into Agent DePaul. Now he finds that
protecting Penni is the most important part of his mission,
no matter what hell is raining down around them. And Penni
has a lot to live for in her new civilian life, depending on
how Dan feels about her secret. While Penni's motivations
are a little more opaque due to the secret she's hiding, she
stirs my heart as well.
Penni and Dan have great chemistry, and the pages positively
crackle with the sexual tension generated. They also have
wonderful repartee, and their interactions while chasing the
bad guys are spirited and witty. The rapport Dan has with
his fellow operatives is laced with sophomoric innuendo and
good-natured razzing, with plenty of banter to keep things
flowing when the bullets aren't flying. Walker's TOO HARD
TO HANDLE is a lively read with plenty of heart-stopping
action and a sigh-worthy romance.
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julie Ann
Walker continues her red-hot Black Knights Inc. series in
rough-and-tumble Peru
"The Man" is back
Dan "The Man" Currington is back in fighting form with a
mission that takes him four thousand miles south of BKI
headquarters, high in the Andes Mountains of Peru. He's hot
on the trail of a rogue CIA agent selling classified
government secrets to the highest bidder, when Penni DePaul
arrives on the scene. Suddenly the stakes are higher, and
keeping Penni safe becomes Dan's number one priority.
And this time she's ready
A lot has changed since former Secret Service Agent Penni
DePaul last saw Dan. Now a civilian, she's excited about
what the future might hold. But before she can grab onto
that future with both hands, she has to tie up some loose
ends-namely, Dan Currington, the man she just can't forget.
And a secret that's going to change both their lives-if they
can stay alive, that is.